Camelid use in Meridional Andes during first millennium A.D. A preliminary approach using stable isotopes

A. D. IZETA, A. G. LAGUENS, M. B. MARCONETTO Y M. C. SCATTOLIN

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology

John Wiley & Sons

Lugar: New York; Año: 2008 vol. 19 p. 1 - 11

1047-482X

Stable isotopes analysis has been used in archaeology to answer a variety of questions. In general the human paleodiet analysis is the main subject. Nevertheless, studies of the animals past feeding behavior have not even been considered extensively in South America. In order to start the interpretation of the ä13C values in camelid bone specimens, both published and new data from the southern Andean area (Northwestern Argentina) have been used. The temporal frame is focused in the local Formative Period as well as in the end of the first millennium AD, which for this area implies a time of great social changes. Samples from modern CAMELIDAE family were used to compare with those of the archaeological sites, interpreting two different patterns that can be associated with two distinctive animal feeding strategies. As a conclusion, both of them can be associated with human management rather than free range camelid feeding behavior. Thus stable isotopes become an innovative strategy to segregate domestic from wild camelids, complementing those results achieved by osteometric and statistical analysis. Moreover it allows for camelid management interpretation in three different localities of the area at different occupational periods.